Basketball. Koon Teck Koh

game became an official Olympic event at the Summer Games in Berlin, Germany in 1936.

      8.Michael Jordan is considered a legend in the world of basketball. Exceptionally talented, Michael Jordan has led the US team in Olympics that won gold medals in 1984 and 1992. Michael Jordan’s career score is 32,292, this is after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), and LeBron James (32,543). His record total career playoffs score of 5,987 in NBA was only broken recently by LeBron James (6,911).

      9.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record for highest score of career points, i.e., 38,387 in the history of NBA. He played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.

      10.The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA.

      11.The Harlem Globetrotters are a world famous exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theatre, and comedy in their style of play. They have been entertaining fans since they were formed in 1926. This popular team has played more than 26,000 games in 124 countries as of 2019. They are not part of the NBA.

      12.Wang Zhizhi—not Yao Ming—was the first Chinese player to compete in the NBA. He was a 7′0″centre and played his first NBA game for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2000–2001 season.

      CHAPTER TWO

      Equipment and Facilities

      Player should wear proper court shoes and comfortable attire to enable them to have a freedom of movement such as run, jump, and shoot.

The Basketball Court

      Source: FIBA Official Basketball Rules (2014).

      CHAPTER THREE

      Playing Positions

      Point Guard

      The point guard is the floor leader on offence. He controls the tempo of the attack and has a good understanding of his teammates, in terms of their strengths and roles. The point guard is usually the quickest player in the team with the best ball handling skills, great peripheral vision and greater shooting range. When defending, the point guard must be able to slow down the opponent’s team point guard.

Shooting Guard

      A shooting guard must be a good shooter from short and long range, and fastbreaks. In addition, the shooting guard should be able to help the point guard in ball control at times and pass the ball to teammate at the low post. When defending, the shooting guard will guard the best perimeter player of the attacking team.

Small Forward

      The small forward is usually the fittest player in the team who operate on wings and baseline areas as well as in the blocks or near the restricted area for rebounding (recover ball after a missed shot). He is able to shoot from outside, drive the ball into the rim, and fast breaks. When defending, the small forward should be able to guard both big and small players.

Power Forward

      The power forward makes big contributions without the ball in his hands, for example, to set up screens, boxes out, rebounding. He should be a good free throw shooter as he will draw a lot of contacts during play.

Centre

      The centre is usually the tallest player in the team. The centre will play very close to the basket to best utilise his height for attack and rebound. The centre player is most influential in attaching as well as defending.

      Although some players were born to play specific positions, most players develop their skills through training and practice. It is important to build allrounded players rather than to restrict the skills development to player’s position.

      CHAPTER FOUR

      The Basic Rules

      Basketball rules are designed to make the game run smoothly and safely so that everyone can enjoy and compete in a safe manner. The rules are set for fair play. Players should be familiar with the basic rules to ensure fair and safe play.

Game Length

      A game consists of four quarters of 10 minutes. There is an interval of 2 minutes between first and second quarter, and between third and fourth quarter. Usually, there is a longer interval at half time (10–15 minutes) before the third quarter begins. Timing rules may vary depending on the level of competition. There is a pregame on court warm-up period of around 15 minutes before the start of the game. If the score is tied at the end of the fourth quarter, the game shall continue with as many overtimes of 5 minutes duration each as necessary to break the tie.

Starting the Game

      For all games, the first team named in the schedule (home team) shall have the team bench and its own basket on the left side of the scorer’s table, facing the playing court. However, if the two teams agree, they may interchange the team benches and/or baskets. Before the first and third quarter, teams are entitled to warm-up in the half of the playing court in which their opponents’ basket is located. Teams shall exchange baskets for the second half. In all overtimes, the teams shall continue to play towards the same baskets as in the fourth quarter.

      The match starts with five players from each team on the court.

      The game will start off with a jump ball at the centre court, usually between the team’s centres (or anyone from the team). The other eight players must stand outside the circle until one or both players tap the ball. Neither jumper may catch the ball or tap it more than twice until it has touched one of the non-jumpers or the floor. If the ball is not tapped by at least one of the jumpers, the jump ball shall be repeated. The “jumper” cannot catch the ball.

Possession Arrow

      When two players from the opposing teams have possession of the ball simultaneously and cannot get free, a “jump ball” may be called by the referee. In this case, teams alternate possession. The “possession arrow” can be found at the scorer’s table. The possession arrow changes every time when a jump ball situation is called by the referee. The team that did not win the first jump ball takes the ball out of bounds in the next jump ball situation. The team entitled to the next alternating possession at the end of any quarter or overtime shall begin the next quarter or overtime with a throw-in from the centre line extended, opposite the scorer’s table, unless there are further free throws and a possession penalty to be administered. If a player(s) move(s) to out-of-bounds or to his backcourt during a held ball, a jump ball situation occurs.

Out of Court

      The ball is considered out of court when it touches on the sideline, baseline, or outside of the court. The throw (in bound) is taken from where the ball is out of play.

      The ball is out-of-bounds when it touches:

      1.A player or any other person who is out-of-bounds.

      2.The floor or any object above, on or outside the boundary line.

      3.The backboard supports, the back of the backboards, or any object above the playing court.

Field Goal

      A field goal is any basket scored by throwing the ball through the ring/basket during